Dot Hack Mirror
by Jules Baetye
Summary: Please read and review!


Chapter One: Dilemma 

In this world, in this time, I am alone. Alone as not in body but in the mind and heart. That I am. Would you call me insane if I ran away? Ran away from what could've been the one chance to live my dreams? But I threw it all away, far away. My name is Misty and I'm a Dot Hacker.

It all started in the Middle of June 2000. There was this popular online game called "The World". It was let's just say it was interesting to say at least. My mother died when I was 9, and I've been living with my step dad for quite awhile. He's never home, always partying with his friends. The game equipment arrived in the mail about a week ago, but I was so busy with school. I haven't even had a chance to look at it. I didn't know where it came from, all it said on the label was "To: Misty Li, May you use this well." I reread the words over and over again, trying to find some hidden message. But there was none. I sighed and sprawled out of my desk chair and onto the floor. I tore the tape off and opened it, looking inside. In the box were a manual, cd-rom, a control pad, wires, and visor glasses. I took out the cd-rom from its case and plops it into my D drive. I plugged in the wires, but first had to untangle them first. I stared at the computer screen, blue numbers upon numbers came scrolling down, some staying, vanishing while others changed. Then in red, boldly showing itself on screen was this message "If you're ready to play the game to the end, then put on the visors and press X on the control pad." I hesitated at first, wondering it this was all part of the game. So I did what it said. The next thing I knew, I couldn't feel my body in the living world at all. There was this sensation of freedom, flight, colors of all kind passing by and through me.

My image changed; tresses became longer and a shade of sky blue. It was in a braid, tossed over my bare shoulders. My top was strapless, almost like a bra except it was light armor, showing my belly and most of my back. It was the color of black with a yellow outline on a dragon on it. Eyes became a bright red, skin pale as Snow White herself, lips became a red, red rose. My bottom outfit was a black skirt, it was about up to my knees, and an extra layer of yellow cloth with a design of another dragon on it was draped over my skirt, like a tailcoat. I wore black leather ankle boots, wrist gauntlets of pure magical steel was tight round my wrists and arms. An oval blue diamond was centered on my forehead, glowing with special abilities for its owner. On both of my wrists were crossbows, with triggers easy to reach with fingers. They weren't the normal kind. They could fold together and be easy to carry around. The limit of arrows is around 50-60. Two daggers were strapped to my legs in their own sheaths. I carried several life potions and antidotes for poison, not bad for a beginner huh? There was a light in the tunnel I was traveling in; the entrance to "The World" was here.

I was on the streets of Valence, server 19. It was like an exact copy of Venice, Italy, except it had the smell of fresh paint and there was colorful marking upon the walls. Players, loners and groups, passed by me and were on the other side of the canal that divided two streets. A boat lying dormant against steps heading toward the waters. I walked around, staring at the pink sky, the three moons shining down upon me.

Someone tapped on my shoulder, and I turned around. It was a boy, of the same height as me. He held a mage staff in his gloved hand. His hair was a red and spiky, was wearing musty, uncolorful and slightly tattered battle robes.

"Are you lost?" he said, his voice wispy and gentle. I shook my head and stood up, turning my body so I faced him entirely. I said my name was Misty and he replied in whisper "Rocky". When I held out my hand to shake his, he hesitated, blushing red like an apple. He just turned and motions me to follow him.

"Come on, I'll take you to an Lvl.1 field," he said breaking the few moments of silence. I followed him, trusting him. My first interaction with another player, it was easy. We reached the Villa Main Square; a green, translucent, rotating, floating circle was ahead. It took us about two minutes. He shouted Tri-Crescent Meadows, and raised his staff. His body disappeared in rings of symbols and light in a second. I followed what he did, but in a corner or the villa, someone was watching, and that someone wanted me.

The Tri-Crescent Meadows was a flat grass land, with flowers patches and ancient columns dotted the field. Rocky guided me to a monster gate. It was like the Chaos Gates, the one we used to teleport here. However, it looked like a spell circle, having a yellow hue, and symbols, lines crisscrossed and written all over it. My companion told me to ready my weapon and be on alert. He stood behind me, ready to jump in if I was in too much danger. The monster circle disappeared and an Lvl 1 golem appeared in a blink of lights. It was about 6 feet tall, it had a rocky exterior. It stood on two legs, a really musky odor, a face of a bear and an overly hairy body of an ape. Not exactly the most exciting thing in the world, however it's a start. I held my arms straight, my crossbows aimed at the standing monster. My heart thumped fast in my chest as I pulled back both triggers with my index fingers. The arrows flew a streak light forming at the tip and covering it like a comet. They both struck right and true at the golem's heart. I thought it is over but I was wrong. It did not disappear rather, its form expanded and shrunk to the size of a stick, then expanded. It happened over and over again, its face writhing into something wretched. Cracks began to form on its skin, but it wasn't blood that came out. It was energy, pure energy. The implosion happened thirty seconds after that then explodes from it core. A giant ring of energy went charging off at me, and there I flew…about 3 feet off the ground and collided into Rocky. There was"OOF" and I was in his arms. I sunk my body against his and felt his warmth. I could feel muscles from under his mage robes and blushes darkly as I found his eyes on me.

"Hey, are you alright", his voice said.

"Yes, I-I-I am", I replied. He picked me up and carried my over to broken column and placed against it. It was good shade, but the bugs! He sat beside my, with one knee up and one stretched out in front. As for me, I was hugging my knees, an expression of a lost kitten. How pathetic I must have looked then, back then. Rocky nudged me in the ribs and held out a badge. It was star-shaped with a curled phoenix in the center. It was black with a red border. He started to get closer and closer, I stared at his him, his eyes. His thick eyelashes made me even blush more. I cringed as he finally touched my skin, my gut simply flopped over.

He attached the badge to my top strap and smiled meekly before his eyes darken wholly and his body fell onto mine. I screamed, it echoed across the meadows, disturbing the grass over a tad bit. In his back was a claw, a bloody claw. I began to sob as his body turned gray, and a series of green number swirled around him as his body began to fade into the regions of empty cyberspace.

Rocky, my first friend was gone. He…we could've been together. Sure I might sound silly. Love at first sight. But I was still young then, at least young enough.

_In this world, in this time. I am alone. Alone as not in body but in the mind and heart, that I am. Would you call me insane if I ran away? Ran away from what could've been the one chance to live my dreams? But I threw it all away, far away. My name is Misty and I'm a Dot Hacker. _

June 20, 2000

1400 Hours…

Signing off,

Psiren.


End file.
